How a pig gave me 10 more years with Grandpa

People come to Iowa for foods that are only found here. And these foods will be showcased by 2006 'American Idol' winner, Taylor Hicks, in an upcoming episode of 'State Plate' on INSP. Five quintessentially Iowan foods will fill up Hick's plate as he travels around the state in search of foods that we do best. The show airs on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
Brian Taylor Carlson/The Register

Buy Photo

Riders wait in line for a Mr. Pork Chop pork chops in Curlew, Iowa, Monday, July 24, 2017, on the second day of RAGBRAI 2017 on their way to the overnight town of Algona. Free Patches and stickers in honor of Paul Bernhard of Bancroft, Iowa, known globally as “Mr. Pork Chop”. He died last year at age 88.(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)Buy Photo

My husband’s grandfather, a World War II veteran and an Iowa farmer, passed away this year just 20 hours short of his 99th birthday.

After the funeral, I called my mom and we remarked upon the incredible life he lived, the things he would have seen and the dedication he had to his still-living wife of 75 years.

I told her that Craig felt lucky to have had his grandpa this long since he had undergone a quadruple bypass surgery in 1991 and still lived to be nearly 100.

Then my mom told me something I’d never known about my own Grandpa Charlie — his life was extended by 10 years after a transplant surgery in which he received part of a pig heart.

Now, first you have to know, my Grandpa Charlie, a 6-foot-8 Irishman still remains my most beloved family member. He could tell a story that would have you in stitches and was a practical joker to boot. After he and my Grandma Lila married, he had a lawyer friend draw up a comedic contract declaring that if she didn’t prepare him corned beef and cabbage every St. Patrick’s Day, it would dissolve their marriage. It’s framed and hung in their home for a laugh. And despite our somewhat confusing family tree, blood relation didn’t matter to him — you were family.

Caitlyn Lamm(Photo: Special to the Register)

I’ve always had an appreciation for agriculture, and pork production is no exception. I like ham, bacon and a juicy chop. I also knew parts we don’t eat from pigs can be made into everyday things like shaving cream, soaps, home insulation and antifreeze. But I was floored by this revelation — I got a little more time with my grandpa thanks to animal agriculture. It gave us a few more chuckles, a few more shared sips of whiskey, and he was able to meet Craig, who would later become my husband.

I couldn’t think of a better way to acknowledge this story than during October Pork Month. Pig farmers are doing their best to raise food for our families to eat. But now I know somewhere out there a farmer also helped raise a healthy animal that allowed a man with a heart of gold — combined with a heart of a pig — to spend time with his loved ones just a bit longer.